Watashi Wa Alice Desu
by justagirlwritingfanfix
Summary: Gakuen Alice, happy school right? That's what I thought when they rescued me. I made friends, and up until the end of middle section it was all going well for me. But when your best friend is a special star and your mentor has the nullification Alice, things are bound to happen. OC Set, Original Plot Line Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

My trance is broken by a breathless Renu bursting into our dorm room. Her straight black hair falls like silk across her shoulders. Her chocolate skin is darker due to hours spent playing tennis, and her brown eyes sparkle with delight. I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out an exasperated sigh before turning to her.

"Anitha! Guess what I-''

"Renu. I was me-di-ta-ting. That means you do not bother the moi."

"But- I brought you some Howalon…"

Sugar. My willpower crumbles, and Renu knows it. She sits down next to me and opens the lid of the box. I pop a pink cloud into my mouth and sigh as the sweet taste spreads through my body. I listen as Renu babbles on about a new invention Kirby created that lets her document all her Pokémon. After about ten minutes I place my hand over her mouth.

"Renu. Shhhhhhh. You can stop now. I understand."

She looks at me incredulously for a second, and then a smile spreads over her face and she peels back in laughter. Not able to keep a straight face at this sight, I join her as we roll on the floor with laughter, our sides nearly bursting. Our sudden fit is interrupted by a knock on the door. We sit up, stifling a giggle. Renu beckons the visitor in. The door opens to reveal Ryan standing in the doorway, holding a pile of books under his arm and carrying a tray with two teas with the other.

"Umm… I came here to-to study with you, Renu."

I turn just in time to see my friends looking at me with a murderous look in her eyes.

"Did you arrange for this?" she seethes through grit teeth.

I shake my head. Oh, those two… A love meant to be, yet neither of them will admit it. The whole Special Class can see it, why not them? I gather up my gym bag and stand to leave. I turn around at the doorway.

"I'll leave you two alone, I was going for a run anyway."

I leave, and as I walk out the door I feel an object making contact with my head. I turn around to see a pillow lying on the floor, and Renu staring at me with a 'don't do that ever again or I will make sure to personally gauge your eyes with my nails' look. I walk down the flight of stairs and through the doors. As I step outside a cold wind catches my face. _Ok, maybe not a run…_ I stroll down the path to the gym, and turn at the girls' locker room. I quickly change into some gym clothes and grab my water bottle. I tuck my bag away and walk into the gym. When I walk in there is no one there, except… Making my way up to the pull up bar I notice that my mentor is there. I watch as he strains himself, the beads of sweat running down his face. After about the twentieth or so, he jumps down to grab a drink of water. When he looks up he notices me, and a smile spreads across his face, his cheeks pressing up against the dark bags underneath his eyes.

"Rough night?" I ask.

"Yeah… This insomnia is really getting the best of me…"

"Are you sure you don't want to go see Brigit? I mean, with her dream Alice I'm sure she could work something out."

"Anitha-You know that is not going to work."

Nullification. A seemingly powerless Alice, it 'protects' him from all others' Alices. Years ago he tugged on a different side of his power, something never before achieved. He mastered a technique so dreadful, we are the only two who know of it. Qi blocking. He could remove your Alice. Forever. Although I am in the Special Class, my behavior makes me borderline Dangerous type, making me more prone to attacks, so Killian had insisted on teaching me this technique.

My thoughts are broken by Killian calling me to come train. I set down my water bottle and tie my laces quickly. I run over to my spot on the gym floor. As Killian starts barking out orders, I position myself into an offensive stance, my middle and index finger jutting out from a tightly coiled fist. I jab the dummy on the spots marked darker by months of practice. He hovers around me, correcting each stance.

After training for two hours, I am drenched in sweat. My shirt clings to my back, and my motions become slower and less accurate. Killian notices this, and calls off the session. After a quick goodbye, I move to grab my stuff and change. As I to go to the dressing room, I catch Killian back at his pull-ups out of the corner of my eye. _Training freak._ I quickly shower and change into my uniform. As I walk out it is almost dusk. I look up at the large clock at the entrance and notice that it is only six. I decide to give Renu and Ryan a little more quality time together, so I go to the town and buy some bubble tea.

_Fifteen rabbits? That's overpriced. _As a triple star, I get 100 rabbits a month, but of course Renu had to outdo me, and as a special star, she gets 300 rabbits a month. Renu has always been better at everything than me. _Well, not everything._ I don't complain, she is older than me, and it's nice to have someone who can help me.

As I walk back to the dorm, I decide to sit on a bench and enjoy my tea. Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes, so I have enough time to do, well, nothing. Workouts have always been a main part of my daily routine, and in the Special Class, we don't do very much other than party the whole time. And I'm not complaining about it. As I look up I notice that it is almost six-thirty. I run over to the dorm room to drop off my bag before I go eat. When I walk in there is no one there, which means that Renu and Ryan must have gone to dinner together. _Oh well, I'll just meet her up there. I mean, I do get second pick at meals. _As I am about to leave, Aria runs up to my door. Her auburn hair bounces on her shoulders, her glasses bumping up and down. She pauses to catch her breath, and straightens her skirt with a grimace.

"Anitha! You ready for dinner? We're all waiting for you!"

_Oh right. _As the top of the triple star group, they all insist upon waiting for me to start eating. I don't know why, it's not in the rule book anywhere…

"Sorry. I was at the gym. I'll walk with you."

I lock my room and walk down the hall and to the cafeteria. When I arrive, my group gets their meals and sits down at our usual table. Renu is sitting with her Special Star group, and it seems she invited Ryan to it. Normally you sit with you star group, but you can change tables if you're invited. I sit next to Aria, and she starts testing me on the material for the finals tomorrow. I look around our table, at the few faces there are. Special Stars have even less, only four. I finish my dinner and offer to walk Aria to her room.

Once I drop her off, I walk back to my dorm, where Renu is sitting on her bed eating a box of chocolates.

"From Ryan?"

"Shut up."

"I'll take that as a yes."

We discuss finals for a while, and then I leave to go get ready for bed. I slip into my pajamas and get into bed. I look out the window, at the stars, until I fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers! Hope the first chapter had you wanting more. I'm going to take this time to do a little housekeeping. In bold at the beginning of each chapter I'll make announcements and stuff like that. I'll be updating the story EVERY MONDAY, and I'll make sure to announce if I'm going on hiatus or if anything is happening. If stuff is in ALL CAPS it means its hella important. Aaaaand... that's it for now. Enjoy!**

After a grueling day of exams, everyone bursts out the doors. I find Renu, and we discuss how our tests went.

"Hey Tiny. Do you want to come back to the dorm? A lot of our friends are coming!"

"That's ok. I think I'm going to take a walk before coming back. You know, to get some fresh air."

"Oh… alright," A look of disappointment spread across her face. "I guess I'll see you later then."

It is already almost dark, dinner would not be served today, as finals went so late. We would be able to go to town to grab something. I pick up an apple and walk over to the woods. The woods used to be banned, there were myths of a monster in there. But when it was discovered that it was only Piyo, or Maggie as Renu and I like to call it, the woods have been filled with people. I walk into a small clearing with a bench, and sit down.

I place my bag down next to me, and slowly eat my apple. I sit back and enjoy the wind and the rustling of the bushes… The rustling of the bushes? I stand up and look around. _That's odd… Now that I think of it, there really isn't anyone out tonight… _I see a dark shadow moving around, and notice something on its arm. That tattoo… It has a black inking of a fire, with a grotesque blood red skull above it. My eyes widen. A bead of sweat trickles down my temple. I recognize it from somewhere, I don't know exactly, but the last time I saw it, nothing good came from it. I count the shadows. Four, five, six… That's manageable, I can take them. Then about ten more scurry closer. _Fuck._ There's no way I can run, they're coming from either side. I need…

I run to my bag, scrambling through its contents. There. I grab the piece of chalk, and bend down. I find the nearest shadow, and etch out the characters. I put the chalk back, and immediately assume a defensive stance. I count the seconds, praying, hoping… Dark mist starts to swirl around me. It slowly curls into the form of a person. I breathe a sigh of relief as Renu materializes beside me, but instantly refocus my attention on the task at hand. She takes in the situation, then grabs my arm.

"Ok let's go!" she huffs.

"I can't! I can't leave my bag!" I exclaim.

She shakes her head.

"How many?" Renu asks.

"About fifteen to twenty."

I hear her curse softly under her breath. She backs up against me and I feel her tense. The mist enveloping her had now coiled around her arms, creating long, black tentacles. I bend down and focus on the men now surrounding the both of us. I inhale and close my eyes. I can see the men's vibrations. I raise my hands and slowly, strenuously, lift the two men off the ground. They gasp for breath, clawing at the hand that is not there. With one flick of my hand, they fall to the ground, immobilized. I open my eyes and locate the next target.

I steal a glimpse at how Renu is doing. Her face is contorted, her eyes shining in fierce concentration. Her attackers are falling, tangled in coils of black mist they cannot escape. I turn back to my attackers, picking up the speed with which I attack them. One, two, five more fall. I notice the number of them is diminishing, no more reinforcements are coming. Renu and I only have about four more attackers left. A cry of victory rises in my throat, but catches at the sound of a strangled yelp coming over from where Renu was standing.

I whip around to see Renu stumble, holding on to a branch for balance. A glint of metal protruding from her thigh, red flourishing on her pant leg. I start to move towards her, but I stop myself, knowing better. She would never forgive me if I did. I turn around and concentrate on the last two. I crouch lower, ready to block any attacks. I stumble, my glasses falling to the floor, and fear overcomes me as I lose precious moments fumbling for them. I quickly place them on, and as my vision focuses I stop. The men facing me stop moving. Confused, I watch as their eyes bug out and they crumple to the floor, a silver dart embedded in each of their necks.

A cloaked figure stands behind the fallen men, a handgun in its grasp. It lifts a gloved finger to its lips, and then vanishes into the darkness. I stand in awe for a moment, and then remember that my friend is over on the ground, bleeding to death. I try to lift her, but to no avail.

"Renu- I can't lift you. Do you heaved enough energy to get us out?"

"Energy?" she grunts through gritted teeth, "I always have enough of that."

I run to grab my bag and then take her arm. Dark mist envelops us and I watch as our bodies slowly disintegrate into black powder. We reappear in our dorm room, and I collapse on the ground. As I stand up a wave of nausea hits me. _Ugh. I hate shadow travel._ I look over to see Renu attempting to climb onto her bed, and failing miserably. I rush to help her. I lift her up with one arm and help her to lay down, propping up several pillows behind her.

I grab my medicine case from under my desk. I set it on the floor and inspect Renu's injury. I cut the pant leg off above the wound, tearing off strips of bloodied fabric. The cut is deep, but the blood had already stopped flowing. Instead it is turning a dark maroon color, and white blood cells are oozing out the center, coagulating in yellow bumps. I pull out a bottle of antiseptic, and spill its contents on the cut. Renu flinches and grabs the sheets of her bed. I quickly unwind the white gauze and wrap it around her leg. I tape it along the edges and then clean up my supplies.

"You've always been good with medicine."

I drop the bottle I was holding and turn away.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"No. It's fine. I just don't… enjoy talking about. It's a skill I inherited from…"

"Oh. Sorry."

I flash a weak smile and then put away my case. My mother had died when I was six, and people had always told me that she was an amazing healer. I turn to see Renu sleeping soundly, having given away to slumber. I change into pajamas and then slip into bed. I close my eyes and let sleep win over me as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello readers I would like to apologize for the late chapter, I've been caught up in business the last three days. For those of you who were curious, I just completed my Bharatnatyam Arangetram. Again, sorry, and here's your new chapter guys.**

I roll over and groan. My hands move to grab my glasses, but find nothing but air. I peer through my half lidded eyes and roll over once more, only to fall out of bed. I sit up with one hand, rubbing my back with the other.

"Anitha?" Renu murmurs sleepily.

"It's nothing. Go back to bed. You should get some rest after… last night." I correct myself, not wanting to mention her injury. But she perks up at the thought and sits up, now fully awake.

"Renu- Um… Nothing happened last night, k?"

"What do you…? Oh. Ok."

"Just make up something for the party. We can't let people find out about this, much less any of the teachers." I contemplate the thought. "They are already on our backs for your Alice and the fact that I can tackle a man ten times my size."

She eyes me.

"Not that you can't, it's just that… Well, I am smaller than you. And I'm not exactly a black belt in Karate. And no, Capoeira does not count."

She sighs as she swings her legs to the edge of her bed. She hobbles off to the bathroom, wincing in pain. I pull off my shirt and change into my uniform. I grab my glasses and walk into my bathroom. I peer into the mirror. My reflection has pockets underneath its eyes, blood on its forehead, and a large bruise adorning its jaw. I sigh. Renu doesn't look much better. I bend down into the sink, and scrub my face clear of the traces of our 'adventure' last night. I cringe as my fingers gingerly brush the bruised skin, sending a jolt of pain up my jawline. After I dry off, I look back up into the mirror. That's better. Now I look like a clean zombie. I pop in contact lenses and walk out.

Renu is waiting for me, drawing. She puts down her sketchbook at the sound of the door closing, and stands up. Grabbing her shoes, she limps out into the hall.

"Come on Anitha! I'm hungry!" She yells over her shoulder.

"You get first pick anyways!" I yell after her. I sigh. When it comes to food and Renu, nothing, absolutely nothing can keep them apart.

I walk to the cafeteria, quickly pulling my hair into a bun. I walk in to find Renu hungrily eyeing the large special selection, her eyes glittering at the sight of hot buttered rolls, steaming eggs and crispy bacon amongst the baskets of pastries.

"Renu! Don't fill up your plate like that! For goodness sake! I know there's only four of you, but that doesn't mean you take a fourth of an entire buffet!" Aria scolds her.

"Yeah Renu,' I smirk. 'You're going to get fat. Watch it."

Aria gives me a look of exasperation, and then we walk over to our buffet. I place a piece of bacon and a hash brown on my plate. The smells of the buffet are usually enticing, but today they are nauseating. I pause at the ketchup, my face contorted in pain. My tummy… Killian comes up behind me, and nudges me in the ribs. I wince in pain.

"What's the matter? Lost your appetite? Well, it looks like Renu is making up for you."

I manage a smile as I rub the bruise now forming on my ribs. I sigh. Anitha. Snap out of it. You're being prissy. I walk over to my table and put down my plate. I pull out the chair and sit down. Brigit turns to me.

"…Anitha? You have a really bad bruise on your jaw."

Every head at the table turns towards me. Anitha with a mark on her face? That's a first.

"Um… Yeah… I kind of fell while training…' I smile, running a hand through my hair. 'It doesn't hurt though!" I add quickly.

Every face turns to Killian. We had made up an elaborate excuse for the hours I trained in qi blocking. I was to go to the judo nationals in four years, and Killian was to be my coach. He looks over at me, a questioning look in his eyes. I give him a sheepish shrug. He gives me a look. Ugh… I'm going to have to make something up… He obviously doesn't believe me. I return to pick at my plate. I take a small bite of hash browns and almost gag. A wave of nausea rolls through me again. Shadow travel after effects, surely. I stand up to go put my plate away.

"Are you going to eat that Anitha?"

"Finish." I hand my plate to Brigit.

I walk out of the cafeteria and towards my dorm. I take in a deep breath of fresh air, attempting to calm down my stomach. As I am walking by a tree, my stomach lurches. I double over and reach the tree just in time to regurgitate the little breakfast I ate. That fight really got the best of me. I slowly stand up, slightly convulsing from the effort. I shiver at the bitter taste in my mouth, the bile burning my throat. I wipe my mouth off with my sleeve and start walking towards the dorm.

A vile smell rises when I enter the room, and I remember the vomit on my shirt. I quickly pull it off and toss it into a hamper. I rummage through my dresser and grab out a new blouse. I pull it over my arms and button it up, tucking it into my skirt. I then pick up a couple of mangas and decide to go outside.

The temperature was cool, and students were milling around, finishing their meals and going to classes. The middle school didn't have classes today, much to my relief. I wave at a couple of students I know, and look up at the apple blossoms on the trees. I am so fixed on a beautiful bird that I do notice a person walking straight towards to me, and I bump into them. I fall on top of him, dropping all of my books. Out of reflex, I grab his throat and start to strangle him. His hands grab mine and wrench them off his neck. I get a clear look at him, he is a boy of my age, with chestnut colored hair that falls over his face, almost hiding his emerald green eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You bump into me and then you try to strangle me?!" He yells.

"Oh my gods! I am so-so-so sorry! I didn't see you! And… I didn't mean to strangle you! Sorry!" I stammer as I untangle myself and pick up my books.

He glowers at me and then tosses one of the books aside. I stumble to nestle all the books in my arms, and then right myself. As I am about to start apologizing again, he turns on his heel and walks away. I am not going to like this guy.

I continue my walk, much more aware of passerby. I find a spot of shade under a tree and pick up the first book. I push my back up against the tree and start reading. As I flip the pages I get lost in the book, and all the days happenings get left behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey readers, sorry for the late chapter (by a lot)... not that anyone is reading this anyways. Well, this chapter is short, sorry. Enjoy!**

21, 37, 42, 3. The numbers float around in my head. I open my eyes slightly, peering

through my lashes. What do those numbers mean? I shake my head, and immediately fall back into deep sleep.

**Told'ja it was short...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright take two. New chapter this week! Sorry the last one was so late, here's a nice long one for ya. Fun fact of the week: All the characters in the story are REAL people and I tried to mimic their personalities to the best of my extent while still furthering the stories. Anywho, enjoy!**

I wake up, a cool breeze brushing my hair. I peel my face off my book, careful not to tear the pages. A piece of hair catches in my mouth, and I gag. I pull it out, smacking my mouth to move the saliva around. Very ladylike Anitha. I stand up and bend backwards, letting out a groan as my back cracks. Picking up my books I look around. Fewer people are walking around now. It's… SIX O'CLOCK? I SLEPT THROUGH THE WHOLE NIGHT! Frantically, I look through my schedule to see what classes I have. Slowly, I start to calm down. Only middle section class.

I make my way over to the classroom, not bothering to pick up any supplies. As I enter the classroom, Renu tackles me.

"Anitha! Where were you? You were gone for the whole day!"

"Ow ow ow. Get off."

I wince and push myself off the floor. Dusting myself off, I explain.

"I was feeling sick, so I decided to-"

I look to the back of the room. Sitting in a desk, slouching, is a boy. His brown hair falls over his face, and a small scar sits under his eye. He mumbles something to his friend, who nods in response. My eyes narrow as I recognize him as the one I strangled earlier.

"Anitha? You in there? You have that murderous look in your eyes. Who do I need to beat up?"

"It's no one-'I grit my teeth. 'Just a jerk."

She opens her mouth to ask a question, but is interrupted by my teacher dancing into the room.

"Go-od morning class! I can't wait to start a new semester with you!"

"Good morning Mr. Ruel." We reply.

"Now class, since it's new semester, I will be assigning you new partners. But as you all know, since High School Class is coming next, these partners will be the ones you keep!"

I groan and look over to Renu. She looks back at me sheepishly, and then whispers into my ear.

"I was hoping he would let us stay together, but rules are rules."

"Now class!" Mr. Ruel says happily, "Here are the partners the board has assigned you. Ms. Venkatesh and Ms. Navis, Ms. Libert and…"

As Mr. Ruel continues on, Renu looks over to me triumphantly, she got a friend as a partner. I cross my fingers, and toes for good measure, and wait for my name to be called.

"Next we have Ms. Quintin and Mr. Angevine"

I look back to see who my partner was, only to see a pair of green orbs glowering back. No. This cannot be happening to me! No! I bang my head on the table in frustration.

"Now class, go sit with your partner." Mr. Ruel informs us, having finished his extensive list of pairings.

I pick up my books and walk over to my desk. I plop down into my seat.

"Hey clumsy."

I look up at my partner, seething, and then turn to find Renu, a pleading look on my face. She points a finger towards me, silent laughter on her lips. I grab my largest book and raise it to smack him across the face, but before I can the bell rings, dismissing us. He stands up, puts his hands in his pocket, and walks out.

"Nice meeting you." He throws over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.

"Who is that kid?" I ask Renu, who had now joined me.

"Oh Charlie? He's a special star too. He never shows up for class though."

"Great." I seethe through grit teeth. "Just what I need."

The next day I run to the gym for my training. When I enter the gym, Killian is already there, at his pull-ups again. After depositing my water bottle on the bleachers, I walk over to the dummy. As I raise my fist to execute my warm up sequence, a hand grasps my arm and pulls it back. I look over my shoulder to see who it was, only to see Killian looking at me with a stern look on his face.

"You're not going to convince me with your little lie. Everyone else might have believed it, but we both know you didn't have a 'training accident'." He scolds. "Now, tell me what really happened."

"Nothing." I reply annoyingly, trying to shrug his hand off.

He grabs my other arm and pushes me down into a sitting position. He squats down and looks me straight in the eye.

"Anitha, I am your mentor. The one that's supposed to keep you safe. If you're going to tell anyone, it should be me." He shakes his head. "Now let me ask you again. What happened?"

"I was attacked." I mutter in a barely audible whisper.

"You what?" He asks, leaning closer.

"I was attacked." I repeat, this time louder.

Killian looks at me incredulously, then releases my arms. He sits down, and places a hand on his head.

"And it was just you?" He questions.

"Renu was there."

"Have you told any teachers yet?"

"No." I reply, ducking my head so he wouldn't see the embarrassed look on my face.

He stands up and starts pacing.

"This is no good. I knew something like this would happen. You're just too powerful." He shakes his head and then turns towards me, offering a small smile. "Well, at least you didn't tell the teachers. Then our little secret would have leaked out."

Our conversation is interrupted by Mr. Ruel walking into the gym. I quickly stand up and bow, and Killian nods his head.

"Ms. Quintin." Mr. Ruel acknowledges. "And Mr. Powers, correct?"

Killian nods in assent.

"You must come to my office immediately. Please follow me." Mr. Ruel presses.

Killian and I exchange worried looks, and quickly follow him out of the gym. We walk to the large administrative building at the back of the campus. We enter through large brass doors, into a granite room, with a large circular opening at the top. I stop and look up at the ceiling, my mouth hanging open in awe of the beautiful paintings adorning it, but Mr. Ruel pushes me past.

"Yes, yes. Paintings done by our artistic Alice students." He chatters nervously.

When we finally arrive at his office, I notice familiar faces sitting in front of it. Renu is sitting in a black chair, talking to Aria, and Ryan is engaged in what looks like a captivating thumb wrestling match with… Charlie. When Renu sees us approaching, she punches Ryan in the shoulder. He turns around with an annoyed look, but then notices Killian and me.

"All of you, up, up!" Mr. Ruel chirps. "Into my office."

We all look at each other and then shuffle nervously into his office. Renu and I sit down in chairs facing the desk, and the rest file into a sofa behind. Mr. Ruel takes his place on a large swiveling chair, and then folds his hands on his desk.

"Don't worry children, you are not here to be punished." He starts. "I am here to discuss with you a situation that Ms. Quintin here has gotten into."

Every head turns towards me, and I give them a confused shrug. I have no idea what Mr. Ruel is talking about.

"And you, Ms. Venkatesh, know exactly what I am talking an out." He turns to Renu.

"The… fight?" She ventures cautiously.

"Correct." Mr. Ruel replies. "As you know, this school has a high level of security, so such an attack is quite uncalled for."

He registers my friends' confused looks.

"Ah. I see. So these two young ladies have not explained. Care to explain to your friends? Especially to Mr. Angevine there. He will be a valuable asset." He says.

"He." I point to Charlie. "Is NOT my friend."

"No, no, no. We can have none of that here Ms. Quintin." Mr. Ruel sniffs indignantly.

I sigh and turn to explain.

"Two days ago I went to the forest and got attacked by about fifteen men. I called Renu, and she helped me finish them off." I summarize.

"Good. Good. So, as I said, such a large group infiltrating our school is unlikely-"

"Wait." Renu interrupts. "How do you know about this?"

"May I remind you, Ms. Venkatesh, that I am a high ranking official on this campus? I have my methods of gathering information. Now, please, no more interruptions." He continues. "We can assume that they are using an Alice power similar to your Shadow Alice, although I have to say we have had few students with a similar one. This is how we have concluded that we are dealing with an organization called the Blood Fire."

Aria gasps.

"Ah, you have heard of them Ms. Salyapongse?" Mr. Ruel turns to her.

"I've read of them in one of the books in the library. They're an old organization that has opposed this Academy for ages." She explains.

"Yes. Very good. And they have been traced to your mother's death, Ms. Quintin."

I turn my head away, trying to quell the anger building up. I hate myself for being so emotional, but the topic was so sensitive… Renu slithers her hand into mine, and gives it a tight squeeze. I look up to Mr. Ruel, an expression of hatred and anguish contorting my face.

"Yes, yes. Your mother. Please control yourself dear, this is very important." He scolds. "It is believed that your mother gave you a piece of information that this organization wants. And if the Blood Fire wants it, then we cannot let it fall into their hands. That is why you are here. I want you to find this object before they do, and bring it back to the academy."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Beat a dangerous organization that even my teachers could not take down to an equally dangerous object that only I should know how to locate and control. Easy enough, right?

"Now, if I could have a word with you and Ms. Venkatesh privately." Mr. Ruel demands.

My friends walk out of the room, and Renu and I scoot our chairs closer. Mr. Ruel stands up and walks to a bookcase. He pulls out a box and then sets it on his desk. It is dusty, but I could make out intricate henna-like designs. I lift my hand to touch the cover, but Mr. Ruel takes the box away.

"Not yet my dear. First. We must talk about your Alice. I would have preferred to talk to you alone, but the headmaster wants someone else to know of this in case… anything were to happen." He smiles. "Your Alice is one that has incredible, and rare, power."

"But…" I ask, confused. "I just have an Immobilizing Alice. A lot of people have that."

"No dear. If you had such a common Alice, do you think you would have been put in the Special Type class? No. Your Alice has a much broader spectrum, one kept from you for fear you might misuse it." He sits down and looks me straight in the eye. "You, my dear, have the Alice of Human Manipulation."

"What?" That sounds so…. Evil.

"Quite simply, an Alice that allows you to manipulate people's bodies. You cannot make them do something, such as sweeping the floor, but you can toss them around in the air, immobilize them, as you already know, and make them feel the worst pain." He sees my terrified look, and continues. "This is why you were not informed of your complete power. Not only this, but your Alice is life-shortening."

"Life-shortening" Renu asks, "As in it kills her?"

"Yes. Every time you use your Alice, you shorten your lifespan. You may have already started to feel the symptoms, nausea, headaches…" he replies.

I nod.

"That is why we must concentrate your Alice." He says, opening the box.

"Do what to my Alice?" I ask.

"We will move your entire Alice power into your left eye, so that you will only be able to use your Alice when that eye is uncovered." He lifts out a smooth silver stone about as big as my hand from the box. "Now, if you will please place your stone over your heart."

I grab the stone from him and place it on my chest. A chill wound through my body, I can feel it pulsing, almost like a small heart.

"And Ms. Venkatesh, if you will please place this eye patch over her left eye." He hands a black eye patch to Renu.

She grabs it and stands up. She walks to the back of my chair, and undoes the long braid in my hair. She then pulls the elastic over my head and lets it rest on my neck. Pulling the hair out from underneath the band with one hand, she pulls the patch over my ears until it rests on top of my eye.

"You're going to have to redo the braid, you know I can't braid hair." She smiles sheepishly.

"Good. I will have to ask you that, after this, you do not remove this eye patch unless you are in a dire circumstance or completely alone. A large amount of power concentrated in such a small place will be enough to kill someone."

Mr. Ruel opens a book and starts reading the text under his breath. Although I cannot hear him, the stone seems to be reacting to it, pulsing faster and faster, until it is vibrating. My left eye instantly fills with a blinding light, my other submerged in darkness. I feel a cold liquid-like substance running through my veins, towards my eye. My eye starts to freeze over, the rest of my body turns to fire. It feels as though every single muscle is being ripped apart, every bone shattering. The heat is unbearable, and I start to panic. Not fire. Anything but fire. But just as quickly as the pain came, it goes. My mind goes blank, and I lose feeling in my limbs. My grip loosens on the stone, and I barely see it slipping from my grip and crashing to the floor, shattering into millions of pieces, a white liquid oozing out, forming small pearls upon the diamonds of broken glass.

Renu places her hand around my waist, and pushes me up against the chair, a concerned look upon her face. I start to regain the feeling in my extremities, the familiar feeling of a foot falling asleep, thousands of needles poking into every inch of exposed flesh. I raise my hand to the eye patch, but Mr. Ruel interrupts me.

"Remember what I said dear! Do not remove the eye patch." He scolds. "Now how does it feel? I have heard it is quite an unpleasant situation."

"Ok… I guess." I shrug my shoulders.

"Alright, then we can move on to the next thing." He opens a drawer and pulls out another box, similar to the first. "Your mother left this for you."

He opens the box to reveal seven small pearls about the size of a pea resting on a velvet cushion, each a color of the rainbow. They sat in a straight line, reflecting the light of the room, giving them the appearance to be moving.

"These are similar to Alice stones." Mr. Ruel explains. "I am sure you have heard of them."

"Stones that contain part of someone's Alice that you give to your soul mate, right?" I ask.

"Correct. But in this case, they hold forms of medicine. You have probably already been told you inherited your healing skills from your mother. These are the seven healing magics. Each contains a vital healing solution. Your mother left them in her house, your name on the box. I believe that they will be of great help to you, although they must be used sparingly. Once broken, the pearl will not regenerate." He lifts one of the pearls out. "These pearls are meant to be worn as earrings. Ah good! I see you already have double piercings. I will ask you to remove those two earrings in your right ear, so we can replace them with the pearls. The rest we will have to pierce new holes for."

I quickly unscrew the two earrings and place them on the table. I reach for the red pearl and place the thin piece of metal into my ear. Immediately the end splits and curls to either side of the hole, holding the pearl in place. I repeat this with the other pearl, then reach for the third one. As I move it to pierce through the flesh, the end retracts. Confused, I place the pearl on my ear. I feel a slight shock, causing me to let go. The pearl stayed in place, without the hole. How… odd. Once all seven pearls are fitted, I turn to Mr. Ruel.

"Now that you have your healing powers, you need to be able to defend yourself, without using your Alice. I highly recommend you turn to blades and shurikens for assistance." He chirps.

"But… sir." I protest. I had never used either before.

"You are a brilliant student and I am sure you will catch on quite quickly if you learn. I must have your agreement that you will."

I nod my head.

"Good, good. That is all. I expect you to be leaving by tomorrow. We will provide you with a bank account you can pull from, as well as 50,000¥ cash." He stands up and starts to usher us out of the door.

All of a sudden I remember something.

"Mr. Ruel, sir?" I ask.

"Yes Ms. Quintin, what is it?"

"When we were fighting, a cloaked figure shot down two of the men from the Blood Fire. Was that…?" I ask, leaving my question open-ended.

"A cloaked figure, you say?" He shakes his head. "No, no. I do not know of that. Sorry."

As Renu leaves Mr. Ruel grabs my arm.

"Oh. And Ms. Quintin, dear, do not think that we don't know about your little training sessions."

My eyes dart away and I quickly leave the room before he can say anything more. My friends are all sitting in the hall, waiting for me. They all look up when the door closes, and their eyes land on my eye patch.

"An eye patch?" Charlie mocks. "Really Anitha? What did you do? Punch yourself in the eye?"

I huff indignantly and turn away.

"Oh! And you have new ear piercings too! Two weren't enough?"

Aria gives him an accusing look and then turns to me with a reassuring smile.

"I think it suits you." She offers. "But what did happen?"

"Well Anitha actually-"Renu starts.

I elbow her in the gut and shake my head. They can't know. Not yet. I sit down and pull my hair over my eye patch, frustrated.

"They want us to leave tomorrow. Renu's coming with me. Ryan, you're coming too." I explain.

I feel a faint wave of heat and turn to see Charlie bouncing a small flame back and forth between his hands. I let out a shrill shriek and back away, scrambling to put as much distance between the fire and myself. He looks up, confused.

"NOBODY TOLD ME HE HAD A FIRE ALICE!" I yell.

"Anitha, calm. Calm. You'll be alright. The fire isn't going to touch you." Aria places a hand on my shoulder.

Charlie looks at me, even more confused, but then returns to his little game. The words of Mr. Ruel float in my head. Valuable asset. Do I have to? I take a deep breath and continue.

"Charlie is coming too, as requested by Mr. Ruel. Killian as well. And that's it. Go pack."

Renu and Ryan, unfazed by my outburst, walk down the hall, discussing the preparations. I stand up to leave, but Aria catches my arm.

"Why am I not coming?" She asks, standing up.

"I don't want to be mean Aria, but a Literature Alice won't do us good in this situation." I reply.

"I have many more values than my Alice." She huffs. "Who will feed all of you?"

"I can cook!" I cross my arms.

"Yeah, because a pyrophobic cook will do you all good." She snaps.

"A pyro what?" Charlie perks up.

"Nothing!" I give Aria a hateful look. "I'm sure they can live off of sandwiches and salads."

"And I'm sure they'll all love that." She mouths 'sorry'. "But, you've forgotten that I know more about this organization than all of you, and I have a photographic memory"

"And I can't go." Killian shakes his head. 'There is something I need to look into at the school. You should take Aria with you."

I lean against the wall, and slide down, cradling my face in my hands.

"I just- it has to do with my mom, so I shouldn't drag anyone into this."

"Anitha-"Aria kneels down. "Stop playing the heroic martyr. Everyone knows how dangerous it is, and we all want to help you, even Charlie." She gives him a scolding look.

He grunts back sheepishly, and then stands up, extinguishing his flame. He walks down the hall, and Killian follows. I look up at the ceiling. What am I going to do? I push myself up, and then start walking.

"Hey Aria?"

"Yes?"

"Could you read some books on sword fighting?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Short-ish chapter, but come on- I can't keep writing those three pagers+ forever... Yeah. The organization is called blood fire. I had nothing better. I'm lame. Maybe I'll go back and change. But don't have unrealistic expectations. But yeah, enjoy.**

I push open the doors to the administrative building, and walk out into the broad sunlight. Aria follows me out, then waves goodbye and leaves down another path. Picking up my pace, I make my way toward the large dorm building. In front of the entrance, sitting on a bench, is Priya. Subconsciously, I lift a hand up to my eyepatch, in attempt to conceal it. Priya notices me and smirks, placing her hands on her hips.

"What's the eyepatch for?" She demands. "And ew. How many piercings do you have? Is this your nerd dress up stuff again? Ha. You're such a geek."

Annoyed, I brush some hair out of my face and square my shoulders.

"First off," I sniff. "It's called cosplaying, not dress up. And second, it's none of your business what I wear, _double star_. I suggest you remember your place."

She opens her mouth furiously, but then shuts it. She stands up and brushes past me.

"That's what I thought." I snap.

After she disappears, I sigh and keep walking. With all that was happening, I have no time to argue with people. I always had to deal with bullies, but usually kept them in check with equally sarcastic sneers. It also helped that I was a triple star and my best friend was one of the only four special stars in the entire academy. As I reach my room, I find the door swung open. I peek in and find Renu sitting on the floor, surrounded by books and clothes.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Packing… duh." She replies.

"Packing what?" I say, pointing to the piles of books.

She sighs and looks at me.

"I'm not done yet!"

I make my way towards my dresser, lifting socks and jumping over piles of pants. _When did she get all these clothes? _I pull open the drawer of my wooden dresser and push aside the "neatly" folded uniforms. I grab out the few casual clothes I owned, we didn't get many opportunities to wear them at the school. I kneel down and push aside my sheets. On my hands and knees I peer underneath my bed. In the far back a brown knapsack is shoved against the boards, which I grab and shake the dust off of. I quickly fold the two pairs of pants and couple t-shirts and shove them to the bottom of the bag. I run to the bathroom and throw toiletries into a pouch, which in turn gets thrown into the knapsack. In go a sweater and a pair of sandals, as well as my first aid kit. I tie the bag shut and throw it to aside, then lay on my bed and watch Renu struggle with her bag.


	7. Chapter 7

**Something weird happened- again. Usually I catch it early but my computer was being a butt. Thanks guest for pointing it out!**

I hug Brigit goodbye and wave to Killian, before running to catch up with the rest of the group. Mr. Ruel was waiting with them at the entrance, and after giving us the usual security run down opens the gates. I gasp at the sight of the city not far away, and grasp my bag a little tighter. The gate swings shut, and I cringe slightly at the large bang. I start walking towards the nearest bus stop, and the group follows. The bus pulls around the bend just as we arrive, and we all file in, paying for our tickets.

I sit down on the seat and place my bag at my feet. I rest my head on the back of my seat, closing my eyes. The others find seats and do the same, Charlie immediately falling asleep in the back.

"So Anitha…" Aria starts. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Well," I reply. "I slept on it and decided that we should start with visiting my old house."

"..." Aria paused, before continuing. "And where is that?"

"Uh… It's in small town near Tokushima." I answer.

"Tokushima?!" Ryan exclaims. "That's really far away! And across a body of water!"

I shrug my shoulders and hand my map to Aria. She draws out a route and explains it to all of us. All of us who were awake, at least.

"It'll take us a while to get there, so we'll probably have to find a hotel." She finishes.

"Hotel?" Renu asks. "You're kidding, right? We're going camping!"

"How?" Aria looks at Renu. "We don't have any equipment."

"That's what you think." Renu and Ryan say simultaneously.

We look at them, confused, as they pull out two camping bags.

"We have three tents, air mattresses…" Renu starts.

"Blankets and cooking stuff." Ryan finishes.

I nod, impressed. Aria looks at me uneasily, but then returns to her map.

"One more thing…" Ryan says. "You were attacked by the blood fire, right?"

"Oh..oh…" I nod, understanding what he meant. "They know what Renu and I look like… Which means only one thing, right Aria?"

Aria nods, and Renu looks at us nervously, frightened by the mischievous glints in our eyes.

"...What?" She asks quietly.

"MAKEUP!" Aria and I shriek.

Renu yelps and crawls underneath her seat while I roll off mine cackling.

"Anitha! Renu!" Aria scolds. "Pull it together!"

We get off the bus at the train station and consult the schedule. Aria had decided we would take a train to Osaka, then get on a boat to Tokushima. Amidst yelling, jostling and whining we manage to buy tickets and find seats. We sit uncomfortably and wait for the train to take off.


	8. Chapter 8

**Short chapter don't care! Hella late and never been better! I mean, who is really reading this? (other than Maggie- hi Maggie I love you)**

We descend from the train a bit groggy and restless. I rub my eyes and wait for everyone to get off. I walk shakily down the steps my legs sore from sitting for such a long time. Ryan is passing bags to Aria and Renu is gathering all trash we left around our seat. The two minute whistle blows and I stare up at the station card.

"Guys…" I say. "I don't think… I don't think we're in Osaka…"

Charlie looks up at the sign as well.

"... Oh shi- Aria! Get the bags back on!"

We scramble to toss the bags back on the train and rush past a very confused Renu. I stop to explain quickly and she grabs the last two bags and carries them back onto the train. I pause to catch my breath and close my eyes.

I feel a hand shoving my shoulder and wake up from a nap I didn't realize I had taken. Objects are thrown in my lap and I stumble off the train. Aria double and triple-checks the sign to make sure we are in Osaka and we exit the station. I stop at a sign and locate the nearest camping ground, and we set out for it.


	9. Please remember

**Hey readers, sorry this isn't a new chapter, but- **

On this day, Darrel Wilson was let go. A man who killed a young, unarmed teenager has just been set free. Why? How? Because the victim was colored.

103 days of protest brought this case to national attention.

_Protect and Serve_

_That's a lie_

_You don't care when black kids die_


End file.
